Bankruptcy & Insolvency

Catherine Allison is an experienced personal insolvency legal advisor and has successfully completed the Personal Insolvency Practitioner exam set by the Law Society of Ireland in conjunction with the ISI and holds a recognised Insolvency Law qualification.

We find positive solutions for individuals who are insolvent, including negotiating debt settlement arrangements with banks and creditors, voluntary consent sales and restructure of bank loans and obtaining self adjudicated Bankruptcy for individuals in all three jurisdictions of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. We help save peoples homes from bank repossession.

Under the new Insolvency regime in Ireland, the Bankruptcy period has been reduced from three years to one year minimum. This firm was the first firm in Ireland to successfully obtain the first six Irish Bankruptcy Orders on behalf of its clients under the new Irish Insolvency Act 2012 (implemented in December 2013)

As an alternative to Bankruptcy we also offer legal advice on Debt Settlement Arrangements (“DSA’s”) and Personal Insolvency Arrangements (“PIA’s”). We are on the legal aid panel for insolvency PIA appeals, under the new government “Abhaile Scheme” which involve the Principal Private Residence. We have successfully secured many appeals with mortgages written down to the market value of property.

We have obtained a substantial number of UK & Northern Ireland Bankruptcies for Individuals as a debt solution. We have also acted for individuals who have relocated to Northern Ireland, England or Wales and have established a Centre of Main Interest or “COMI” there. Once established they can elect to file for voluntary bankruptcy and be debt free within 12 months after obtaining a Bankruptcy Order.

Under the Bankruptcy Amendment Act 2015, the bankruptcy period was reduced from 3 years to 1 year minimum as of 29th January, 2016. The other main changes reduce the income payment period from 5 years to 3 years, as well as most importantly, providing for the revesting of family homes in debtors, where the Official Assignee has not issued proceedings for the sale of the property within 3 years of the bankruptcy adjudication. This may provide some comfort for individuals whose main priority is to maintain their principal private residence which is in negative equity and it is aimed at protecting the family home in these circumstances, which will enhance the debtor’s bargaining/negotiating position in respect of the family home mortgage, notwithstanding bankruptcy.

Testimonials

Gerry (Co. Louth) – 2017

As a business client of your office for the past 17 years and ongoing, I am grateful for the level of professional advice, and the high quality of down-to-earth practical advice and fast and efficient service provided by Catherine and her staff to all of my limited companies and my personal businesses, in all commercial property and employment contracts and litigation and company restructures. You helped our companies through many tough times. The level of commercial property and legal expertise and practical tax advice in on a par with any large Dublin legal practice we encountered but with a personal touch at a lower cost delivered to our local businesses.